SGA, Thunder Win NBA Finals Over Pacers, Fans Celebrate 1st Title Since Move to OKC

At long last, Oklahoma City has its first championship.

The Thunder clinched their first title since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008 on Sunday, downing the Indiana Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder used a third-quarter push to build a comfortable lead over the Pacers, who were without Tyrese Haliburton after the star point guard suffered an Achilles injury in the first quarter.

Leading by double-digits heading into the fourth, Oklahoma City managed to hold off Indiana's comeback attempt to clinch the title in front of a home crowd.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 29 points and 12 assists, becoming just the fifth player in NBA history to have 20-plus points and 10-plus assists in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. His co-star Jalen Williams added 20, and Chet Holmgren was integral on the defensive end, blocking five shots, the most ever in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

The championship marks the first since the move to Oklahoma City, and it's just the second ever for the franchise. The last time the team won a title was in 1979 when it was still the Seattle SuperSonics.

Fans praised outstanding performances all around and celebrated the city's first championship after the win.

The Thunder were the best team in the league all season, winning a franchise-record 68 games before downing the Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves on the way to the Finals.

It was far from the easiest series as Indiana used miraculous comebacks and clutch performances to stay in the series, but OKC ultimately had enough and showed up when it mattered most.

What's more, the Thunder have one of the youngest teams in the league and a slew of first-round draft picks over the next few years, so it could be the first of many titles for this squad.